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So he looked upon us as fools, because we would not sell them; the which I would not have done for the whole island. But contrary to our expectations, he told the Spaniards, who threatened to take them from us. But so soon as we heard thereof, we called out all the Turks, and told them they must help us, or the Spaniards would take them from us. So they resolvedly helped us, and we made all haste to run from the Spaniards, the which pleased the Turks very well. So we put ourselves to the hazard of the Turks, and being taken again, to save them.

So we continued about six or seven days, not being willing to put into any port of Spain, for fear of losing the Turks.

We let them have all their liberty for four days, until they made an attempt to rise, which I foresaw, and prevented, without any harm. I was very courteous to them, at the which some of our men grumbled, saying, I had more care of the Turks than them. My answer was, they are strangers, I must treat them well.

At last, I told the master it might do well to go to the Turks' coast, for there it was more likely to miss their men of war than where we were; and also it might fall out so, that we might have an opportunity to put the Turks on shore: to which the master agreed.

And in two days we were near the Turks' shore, at a place called Cape Hone, about fifty miles from Algiers, as the Turks told us. So when we came about six miles from the shore it fell calm, and I had very much working in my mind, about getting them ashore.

At last I went to the master, and told him, I had a great desire to put the Turks on shore, but how, I knew not; for to give them the boat, they might go and get men and arms, and so take us again; and to put half on shore, they would raise the country and surprise us when we came with the rest. But if he would let me go, and if three more would go with me, I would venture to put them on shore; to which he consented.

So then I spoke to the men, and there were two more, and myself and a boy took in the ten Turks all loose, and went about six miles and put them on shore in their own country, within about four miles of two towns which they knew. Withal, we gave them about fifty padas of bread, and other necessaries to travel with. They would fain have enticed us to go to the towns, telling us we should have wines, and many other things. As to their parts, I could have ventured with them. They all embraced me very kindly in their arms when they went ashore. They made one rising in the boat when going ashore, the which I prevented; and we parted with a great deal of love.

When we came home to England, the king came to the vessel's side, and inquired an account, the which the master gave him.

So this is as near as I can certify thee; I have written thee more at large to give thee the whole as it was; but thou mayest take what is the most material; and so I rest thine in that which can do good for evil, which ought to be the practice of all true men.

Liverpool, the 30th of the fifth month, 1680.

THOMAS LURTing.

The Protestant Christian Quaker, a sufferer by Relics of Popery, under all powers, for thirty years last past, who have Persecuted for Religion, yet call the Holy Scriptures their rule, that justifieth no such practice. By G. F.

THE apostle exhorts the christians, to be conformed to the image of the son of God.' Rom. viii. 29. Who is the brightness of God's glory, and the express image of his substance.' Heb. i.

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And further, the apostle saith, That I might know Christ, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable to his death.'

And also, the apostle exhorts the church, Rom. xii., saying, 'Be not conformable to this world; but be ye transformed by renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, that acceptable, and perfect will of God.'

Now here are three things for all christians to mind:

1st. They must be conformable to Christ's death.

2ndly. They must be conformed to the image of the son of God, who is the brightness of the glory of God, and the express image of the Father's substance.

3dly. They must not be conformable to the world; but be transformed from the world.

Now, to know what it is to be transformed from the world, and not be conformable to the world, they must know what the world is, that they must not be conformable unto, but be transformed from.

Which the apostle describes to be the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but of the world, and therefore must not be conformed unto, nor loved, but be transformed from; for it passes away, and the lust thereof.

For if any man love the world, (saith the apostle,) and the things of the world, the love of the Father is not in him.' John i. 2.

Now, to be conformable to Christ's death, doth not the apostle say, "If they be dead with Christ, and conformable to his death, then they are dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, and they cannot

be subject to the worldly ordinances, and commandments, and doctrines of men.

So here the world hath its ordinances, and commandments, and its doctrines, which are not to be touched, nor tasted, nor handled by them that are conformable to the death of Christ, and are dead with him, and so, conformable to the image of the son of God, who is the brightness of God's glory, and the express image of his substance.

Now all such as are conformable to the death of Christ, and are dead with him, and are conformed to the image of the son of God, which was the only conformity the apostle preached up; all such, (1st,) cannot be conformable to the world, nor to the lust of the eye, nor to the lust of the flesh, nor to the pride of life; (2ndly,) nor to their doctrines, nor commandments of men, nor ordinances, nor traditions, no, not so much as to touch, taste, or handle them; for they all perish with the using of them, saith the apostle. But their conformity must be to the image of the son of God, as the apostles preached.

Now this conformity to the son of God was never held up nor defended by outward, carnal weapons, neither by Christ nor his apostles; for Christ said, he came not to destroy men's lives, but to save them.'

And the apostles did affirm, that their war and weapons were not carnal, but spiritual; and they did not wrestle with flesh and blood, but with the powers of darkness and spiritual wickedness in high places, for the plucking and pulling down the strong holds of satan, which he had set up in men and women's hearts since they fell from God.

So it is clear the apostles did not preach up a conformity to the image of the son of God by carnal weapons.

So the apostles that preached conformity to the image of the son of God, and to his death, did not hang, burn, banish, imprison, or persecute any, or cut off the ears, or whip, or spoil any people's goods that did not conform to the image of the son of God, or conform to his death. Nay, they did not imprison, put to death, or spoil the goods of any of them that were conformable to the world and their doctrines; but invited them, and exhorted them, and showed them the danger, if they did not conform to the image of the son of God, and receive his grace, light, spirit, truth, and gospel.

And they that did not die with Christ, could not live with him, nor suffer with him could not reign with him.

Now they that are conformable to the image of the son of God, are conformable to their saviour, their redeemer, and mediator, and to the new covenant of grace, light, and life, and to the worship in spirit and truth, and to the true church, which Christ is the infallible head of, who hath destroyed the devil and his image who is the head of all false images, and image makers and worshippers.

And, therefore, it is but fit that all christians should be conformable to the image of Christ, and unto the happiness of this conformity the devil is an enemy, and satan is an adversary; and as he is a devil, he seeks to destroy all them that are conformable unto it, and that bear the image of the son of God.

And now all the doctrines, rudiments, and commandments of men, which are not to be touched nor tasted, and so not to be conformed unto, but transformed from; for they are but the inventions of such as have not heard God and Christ's voice, though they may have all the form of godliness both in the Old and New Testament; and being out of the power and spirit that they were in that gave it forth, all such are to be turned away from, and not to be conformed unto, according to the apostles' doctrine.

It is the power and spirit of God and Christ that brings to turn away from them, and brings to be conformed to the image of the son of God, and so to do his will, and to know his doctrine that is from above.

The doctrines, ordinances, commandments, and rudiments of the men of the world, they are below: for the world by wisdom knows not God;' and they with their wisdom would bring all men to a conformity to their image, like Nebuchadnezzar's, which he set up, and to fall down to it, else into his fiery furnace they must be thrown, and Daniel must be cast into the lion's den.

So this was in the time of the old covenant amongst the Jews, who were to be conformable to the law of God. So they were not to conform to the ordinances or commandments, and decrees, and ways, and worships of the men of the world, as. Nebuchadnezzar and Darius, and the like, about religion.

Which law and old covenant that came by Moses, Christ hath abolished: but grace and truth is come by Jesus Christ, in his new covenant, by which all must hear Christ, who is an infallible prophet, and an infallible priest, who lives for ever, and is an infallible shepherd and bishop of people's souls; and to his image must all true christians be conformed.

Since the apostles' days, how many ways, religions, worships, faiths, and creeds have been made by men and councils, unto which conformity hath been required; and yet they confess and say, 'they have not the same power and infallible spirit the apostles had.' So then it is clear, they are not guided by the same infallible spirit; and yet such take upon them to judge of, and give forth doctrines, religions, ways, worships, faiths, and judge of men's eternal states, with their fallible spirit which they confess they are in; and then all their religions, ways, worships, faiths, doctrines, creeds, ordinances, and directories must be fallible. And yet these are such as fine and compel (with carnal weapons) men to fall down to, and conform to their fallible.

ways, doctrines, religions, worships, faiths, creeds, and ordinances, and canons, by force of carnal weapons.

And what is this they would have conformity to, but the likeness or image of a way, religion, faith and worship, that is not set up by the same infallible spirit and power the apostles were in? And because people will not conform and bow down to their image of a faith, religion, worship, and church, that their fallible spirit hath set up; therefore they will banish, whip, imprison, burn, and hang, or spoil the goods of such as cannot conform to this their image.

How many images of religions and ways have been set up since the apostles' days? And how much blood hath been shed? And what burning, banishing, killing, hanging, and spoiling of goods hath been, for not conforming to the image which this fallible spirit hath set up? For they all confess they have not the same infallible spirit and power that the apostles had: and yet these called christians will say the scriptures are their rule, for their life and practice, &c. Then let them come to the rule, and try their practices by it.

For the apostles did not hang, burn, banish, or imprison, or spoil the goods of any that were not conformable to the image of the son of God, but still conformed to the world. Neither did they wrestle with flesh and blood; and the weapons of their warfare were spiritual, and not carnal, by which they wrestled with spiritual wickednesses, and plucked down the strong holds of satan, which he the foul spirit had set up in men and women's hearts.

Now all you that wrestle with flesh and blood, with carnal weapons, and have hanged, burned, imprisoned, banished, and spoiled the goods of such as could not conform to the image of your ways, religions, faiths, and worships, (who confess, as was before said, that you have not the same power and spirit the apostles had,) but conform to the image of the son of God, declared in the scripture of the New Testament: in this your practice, the scripture hath not been your rule, if you will believe the apostles and Christ's doctrine, who said, he came to save men's lives, and not to destroy them.'

But the Papists, they cry, Conform, conform to their image of mass, &c. or else away with them to the inquisition, or rack, or torture, or the like.

And the Turk, he cries, Conform, conform to his image, which Mahomet hath set up, and to their Alcoran.

And did not the heathen emperors cry, Conform, conform, and persecute the christians, because they could not conform to their idol images, which they had set up?

And the Protestant, he cries, Conform, conform, or else persecute and imprison, as the many jails do testify.

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